Students take a "coral quiz", San Salvador, Bahamas.
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INTRODUCTION
The anthropogenic effects of development and agricultural intrusion into the Ohio valley have devastated many of the areas native faunal inhabitants. The loss of floral habitats has contributed to the extrication and/or endangerment of some faunal organisms and to the extinction of others. We hypothesize that rate at which these events are occurring has slowed since the inception of the modern environmental movement; however, some species are still in danger.
RELEVANCE
In 1949 the Ohio Division of Wildlife was founded to monitor and protect species threatened through human encroachment. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources compiled the state's first list of endangered and threatened species in 1974 to catalogue the loss of biodiversity within the state. Biodiversity is key to the existence of ecosystems. Healthy ecosystems exist at a state of dynamic equilibrium, where as all species are stable in their populations yet change is accounted for and less threatening to any one species. Destroying one species habitat my completely eradicate that species. That recently eradicated species was a butterfly, the only butterfly which eats a certain kind of generalist mosquito. Without that butterfly controlling the mosquito population, the mosquitoes are now spreading diseases through many animals, including humans. Loss of biodiversity means loss of stability, not just for certain species but for all including humans.
The loss of Ohio's wetlands has been a leading cause to wildlife endangerment. Already over 90 percent of Ohio's wetlands have been drained for agricultural use, or residential and urban development. Several endangered species requiring this type of habitat include: river otters, copper-belly water snakes, osprey, and sandhill cranes.
The Ohio landscape has been striped of it's original temperate forests and wetlands over the last two hundred years of development and agricultural expansion eliminating species such as mountain lions and timber wolves. Since the 1940's some previously lost forest area has been recovered; restoring populations of white-tailed deer and Eastern wild turkey.
Contamination by harmful chemicals continues to be a problem for Ohio's wildlife. Widespread DDT use was a leading cause in reproductive malfunction of Ohio bald eagles. This is due to several effects. DDT was used on many fields and other areas unintentionally, spraying mice and other such small animals. The bald eagles would eat these animals, thus biomagnifying an already very deadly substance from small traces in one animal to larger quantities in the bald eagles. After a period of bioaccumulation within the eagles and their species the DDT began to prevent healthy hatchlings or fertilization at all thus dramatically reducing the population in a short time. Upon the discontinuation of DDT usage the bald eagle population has been on the rise ever since.
Most of Ohio's endangered species list consists of aquatic species. Water degradation is an important factor in endangerment. Some causes of the degradation are due to siltation, poor water quality from acid mine drainage, industrial, agricultural, and municipal sewage discharges, and stream channelization.
As obvious from the list of causes and effects, habitat loss is a major threat to many species. Protection and restoration of these habitats is key to the survival or reintroduction of many species. Several programs to accomplish this daunting task have already been initiated and are working with respectable success. Although most of these areas can only be considered as "islands of nature", which have been historically and scientifically proven to be ineffective in the long- run of saving species, it is still a step in the right direction.
RESEARCH DESIGN
The research is designed to measure the rate at which species are being added or removed to the endangered species list over the course of the last thirty years. This provides a generalized picture of the state of biodiversity and wildlife management in the state of Ohio.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Using data from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and other sources, we will compile a comprehensive list of the various species that are threatened and endangered. We wish to include the population counts as well as the geographic locations in the state. From this data, we will be able to test our hypothesis.
The first data set will start with the first published list of endangered species in 1974. Lists are published every two years to keep the data updated. Precise data has been kept on these species to track their numbers and fitness. The data we compile will be used to chart the population declines or increases of various species'. This will provide a graphical representation of the loss of biodiversity.
Since habitat loss is the most crucial factor in species endangerment and extinction, we will attempt to correlate the loss of certain types of species with the loss of certain habitats.
TIMELINE FOR RESEARCH
Phase One:
1. Collect and Analyze past research, articles, studies, and various theories.
2. Compile raw data on endangered and extinct species in the Ohio Valley over specified time.
3. Organize data.
Phase Two:
1. Analyze data for statistical significance.
2. Graphically represent the data.
3. Examine the new data sets.
Phase Three:
1. Re-examine the data.
2. Interpret findings; present rationale for results
3. Discuss unusual or untenable results.
4. Publish results for the world to see.
SOURCES
Chapin, F. Stuart III et al. Consequences of Changing Biodiversity. Nature. Vol 405. May 11, 2000. pp. 234-243
Demers, Michael N. et al. Fencerows, Edges, and Implications of Changing Connectivity Illustrated by Two Contiguous Ohio Landscapes. Conservation Biology. Vol. 9. Issue 5. Oct 1995. pp.1159-1168.
Fagan, William; Cantrell, Robert; and Chris Cosner. How Habitat Edges Changes Species Interactions. The American Naturalist. Vol. 53, No. 2. 1999. pp.165-182.
Mooney, H.A. and Cleland E.E. The Evolutionary Impact of Invasive Species. PNAS. May 8, 2001. pp. 5446-5451.
Paul, Michael J. and Judy L Meyer. Streams and the Urban Landscape. Annual Review of Ecological Systems. 2001. Vol. 32. pp. 333-365.
Pimm, Stuart L. and Askins, Robert A. Forest Losses Predict Bird Extinctions in Eastern North America. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the U.S.A. Vol. 92, Issue 20. Sept. 1995. pp. 9343-9347.
Pimm, Stuart. How Many Species Will We Lose? A Conversation. www.envreview.igc.org/pimm.html
Quammen, David. The Weeds Shall Inherit the Earth. The Independent. London, November 22, 1998. pp. 30-39.
Sexton, Owen J. Replacement of Fox Squirrels by Gray Squirrels in a Suburban Habitat. American Midland Naturalist. Vol. 124, Issue 1. July 1990. pp. 198-205.
Wolff, Jerry O. The Role of Habitat Patchiness in the Population Dynamics of Snowshoe Hares. Ecological Monographs. Vol. 50, Issue 1. March 1980. pp. 111-130.
Western, David. Human Modified Ecosystems and Future Evolution. PNAS. Vol. 98, No. 10. May 8, 2001. pp. 5458-5465.
RELEVANT WEBSITES
Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service-Endangered Species page
For Further Info on this Topic, Check out this WWW Site: www.endangeredspecie.com .
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